Paul McCartney

Style marker

[Little Richard] would say, 'I taught Paul everything he knows'. [...] I had to admit he was right.

— Paul McCartney, Twitter (2020)

Paul McCartney sometimes sings a single note in falsetto, in imitation of Little Richard who did it before him.

Oh Darling (1969)

The Beatles

Connections to
The Beatles's Penny Lane (bassline)

Penny Lane (bassline) (1967)

The Beatles (wr. Paul McCartney)

Shown in treble clef for comparison.

Wonderful Christmastime (1979)

Paul McCartney

I see critics compare me to Elton John, I see Harry Chapin, and I go 'No, no, it's McCartney.'

She Came In Through the Bathroom Window (1969)

The Beatles (wr. Paul McCartney)

and

1

though

b7

she

6

thought

6

I

5

knew

1

the

3

an

2

swer

1

Close to the Borderline (1980)

Billy Joel

I

1

did

3

n't

5

think

6

I

5

need

1

ed

3

an

2

y

1

thing

1

Both songs are in the key of A and share a single rhythmically-identical pentatonic melody line (highlighted)
Phonetically similar lyrics in the same rhythmic positions ("thought I knew"/"think I need", "an[swer]"/"an[ything]")

Waterfalls (1980)

Paul McCartney

Waterfalls (1994)

TLC

Transposed from Eb.

A lyric
A sequence on the word "waterfalls" that descends from 7̂ to 6̂ and then to 5̂ (though the 7̂ is flat in McCartney's case)

AV Club: TLC ripped off Paul McCartney? I had no idea!

Paul McCartney: I think so.